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Looking to tank in the NFL? Jets QB Justin Fields may lead to best chance of doing so
Alright, let's break down what's really happening with the New York Jets, because this isn't just a bad season; it's a masterclass in the art of the tank, and Justin Fields is their unwitting, yet perfectly cast, leading man. After shipping off defensive cornerstones like Sauce Gardner at the trade deadline, first-year GM Darren Mougey made it abundantly clear that the future, and the draft capital that secures it, is the only prize that matters in a 2-8 campaign.Winning, as their lone victory over the equally hapless Cleveland Browns proved, is actively counterproductive when you're angling for a top draft pick, and that’s where Fields becomes the ultimate strategic asset. Let’s be real, and this is a tough thing to say about a guy who seems like a genuinely good teammate, but one of the primary job requirements for an NFL quarterback is to throw the football, and Fields, in this current Jets ecosystem, is fundamentally incapable of executing that task at a professional level.His stat line from the 'Thursday Night Football' loss to the Patriots—15-for-26 for a paltry 116 yards—tells only half the story. At halftime, he had more rushing yards (28) than passing yards (23), and nearly a third of his total aerial output came in garbage time.This isn't an anomaly; it's a pattern. In four of his nine starts this year, he's failed to eclipse 54 passing yards, making explosive plays through the air as mythical as a Jets playoff appearance, a drought now creeping toward a decade and a half.His effectiveness as a runner, like the 5-yard touchdown scamper that opened the game, is both a blessing and a curse, creating a conundrum for a coaching staff that, as Coach Aaron Glenn admitted, doesn't want to make a habit of putting their quarterback in harm's way by using him as a de facto running back. The chemistry, or utter lack thereof, with new wideout AD Mitchell, acquired in the Gardner fire sale, was painfully evident, with a dropped perfect pass on one third down and a wildly inaccurate throw on another killing drives.It’s not all on Fields; the deck is stacked against him with a defense that can't force a turnover, key injuries like Garrett Wilson on IR, and a supporting cast learning on the fly. But the defining moment, the one that crystallizes the entire operation, was the fourth-quarter fumble where, instead of falling on the ball, he tried to make a hero play, resulting in a Patriots recovery and a sealing field goal.The difficult part for everyone in that locker room is that Fields is the ultimate stand-up guy, the one who handled public criticism from ownership with class, led the team to its first win, and spoke vulnerably about mental health. That matters immensely in life, but on the gridiron, it means almost zilch when you can't consistently move the chains through the air. So, while Glenn plays coy with the media about who his starter is, the cold, hard truth of the NFL is that as long as Justin Fields is under center, the Jets aren't just losing games—they are executing a perfect, albeit painful, long-term strategy for a chance at a franchise-altering draft pick.
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#Justin Fields
#New York Jets
#NFL tanking
#quarterback performance
#NFL draft
#team rebuild
#football analysis
